“Block Everything” protests escalate as France’s new PM seeks truce

On Wednesday, tens of thousands of demonstrators across Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nantes, Lille and Perpignan staged roadblocks, station shutdowns and spontaneous street fires to protest planned austerity measures. Authorities deployed 80,000 officers to disperse crowds, making 473 arrests amid tear gas deployments, water cannons and baton charges. Protesters torched rubbish bins and barricades, while in Perpignan shopping carts sealed off supermarket entrances and in Lille umbrellas shielded activists from police water jets.

The unrest coincided with Lecornu’s formal handover at the Hôtel Matignon. In his first address, he acknowledged national instability and pledged a “break in substance,” promising more creative, technical governance to bridge the gap between public expectations and policy realities. His appointment came two days after François Bayrou resigned following a lost confidence vote on €43 billion in deficit-reduction cuts, plunging Macron’s administration into deeper uncertainty.

Unions CGT, FO and SUD have now galvanized support for a nationwide general strike on September 18, calling on teachers, transport workers and civil servants to join demonstrations. In response, Lecornu has opened consultations with opposition leaders and union chiefs to craft a revised budget by early October that “takes into account social realities” and minimizes public service cuts. Transport operators are negotiating with the government to limit rail and metro disruptions during the strike.

Paris authorities have further fortified key sites such as Gare du Nord and Place de la République, deploying extra units to deter new blockades. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau affirmed that violence would not be tolerated but vowed to “listen to legitimate grievances.” Meanwhile, social media remains ablaze with mobilization plans drawn from the September 10 protests and memories of the 2018 Yellow Vest uprising.

As Lecornu seeks consensus in a fractured parliament, the looming general strike underscores the depth of economic discontent and the formidable challenge facing France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years.